I hadn't realized that among things, Martin Luther King invited her to protest at his side and just before she was able to do her part, he was killed. She was an extraordinary woman to say the least. I recommend reading her story in those pages.

Okay, I was and still am a geek. I admit it
proudly. Geeks are important. Geeks invent things, teach, revolutionize and
contribute to society with great intensity. Geeks master things to such an
extent that they often abandon socializing.

A pal of mine, gently reminded me that I
should socialize more, but I am loving my time in my cave. I’ve got my art
supplies, my music and a plethora of ideas I look forward to sharing with you
soon.

What makes really geeky now is that I have
no television so for entertainment, I read fiction, non-fiction and listen to
audio books. I realize the impact
television has on our culture. I barely know what anyone is talking about. So
much is shared through commercials. People refer to others as characters from
tv programs. I don’t have Netflix either so I’m really living in Simoneville.

A Walk Across the Sun is about human trafficking and organized
crime. I picked it up because I loved the title and the beautifully designed
cover. I expected it to paint life in South Asia in a poetic light. It did
that, while also revealing some of the uglier realities and one consequence of
the tsunami. If you’re looking for a light read, this isn’t the book for you. I
haven’t been reading many ‘light’ books these days, and am still in search of a
book that takes me out of the realities of the wars happening now and that
inspires me to, as Ben Okri writes, “Keep dreaming the world with more light.”

­

Aleph, by Paolo Coelho takes the reader along on
his spiritual journey.

Unlike The Alchemist, my favourite book by Coelho, I didn’t leave it
feeling like I had learned any great spiritual lesson. The first few pages are
filled with great quotable sentences that inspire me. I’d write one here, but
I’ve already returned it to the library. I think the greatest lesson is one for
those in long-term relationships who are being pursued by someone they could
love. There is much about being faithful in marriage. For me the die-hard
monogomist, I loved that part. It is an inspiring book for those in the
creative field.

I’m still working on getting, No More
Kissing Frogspublished. That’s
the book I’ve written about online dating. I found an editor and am considering
simply publishing it online. But I love book design, paper, turning pages while
I read, so we’ll see which path I take. I’ll probably take both. For anyone in
publishing would like to read it. I’m open to that.

I’ve already begun the sequel, Who Will
Ride an Elephant With Me. The title comes from a talk I had with my pal,
MP. We were talking about relationships. He asked me who I was looking for and
I said that I wanted someone really special. I picture myself dressed in
Egyptian cotton opening the door to my villa. Walking out on the veranda with
glass of something delicious and being followed by a man similarly dressed. I
want company on my trip to Antarctica and my safari in Africa. And as I told my
nephews one day while we were watching Dora the Explorer, I want to ride an
elephant. I asked them if they’d join me. They both said no, to my surprise. I
told MP, I want to be with a man who will ride an elephant with me. He told me
that was really specific and that I should be more flexible.

Ladies, let me tell ya, this is a perfect
pick up line. I’ve used it three times. So far, one man said he had ridden a
camel, another had ridden an elephant several times and the third smiled
broadly and said that he would absolutely join me.

So now it’s officially Spring. Even though
the weather says that it will snow next week. Kidding!! I think we’re in the
clear. I’ve planted my garden. We’ll which seeds become flowers. I’m looking
forward to a wonderful warm season filled with great love, great times and
great art!

The lovely owners at Patois asked me if I could create some
works of art which included Patois. I also included pastel drawings of
Calypsonians I was fortunate to see on Union Island in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.

Join us for an artist talk at 2pm. The rest of the time you
are encouraged to walk around the venue and view the work, perhaps dine there
and take advantage of some refreshments provided.

Patois is a language invented so that secrecy could prevail during
times of slavery. I was careful to choose images that compliment the proverbs
but do not explain.

Patois, the art exhibition on display at Patois Jamaican Restaurant, is
the study of Caribbean language and music. I have chosen Jamaican proverbs and
illustrated them using ink and scratchboard on paper. The pastel images of
Caribbean musicians were rendered during an art exhibition on Union Island in
St. Vin­cent and the Grenadines. I chose to render these images with a lyrical
use of line and shape.

Part of the
proceeds from this event will go to Rise Above, a local charity designed
to educate, inspire and empower our community. ‘Building our community by
paving the foundation to your success.’Keep on keeping on!Cheers,Simone